4 ms·

I've not been diagnosed with ADHD, though have some symptoms (though honestly, some of those are just standard "human living in 2022"), but I do know I have wha

by maicro 4y ago

I've not been diagnosed with ADHD, though have some symptoms (though honestly, some of those are just standard "human living in 2022"), but I do know I have what I would consider an "addictive personality". I can't answer how gambling addicts or smokers feel, but I will share a similar experience - I had to uninstall Candy Crush Saga from my phone, because I would literally open it, and then "come to" ~40 minutes later at the end of my drive (carpool, not me driving). This went on for about two weeks before I decided to uninstall the game. I've never been on TikTok, but I do know that mobile games like Candy Crush are designed specifically to be addictive/habit forming - look up "gamification" for some related aspects, though that's really more about applying those sorts of mechanisms (mostly daily login bonuses / streak rewards, but also carefully spaced repetitions / cooldowns to get you to come back multiple times a day, highly stimulating audio and visual feedback for that "dopamine rush") to form habits around other domains (exercise being a theoretically "positive" application). All that is to say, good on you for recognizing your negative interaction with that app, and for uninstalling it. I don't know where the balance lies when weighing personal freedom (of both you to install whatever you want, and developers to release whatever they want) vs. legislation and regulation, but I do think awareness of the techniques that are being used (similar to how I learn as much as possible about scams / social engineering) is extremely important on a personal level. One final note - 2048, a few years after Candy Crush, hit me in a pretty similar way. The interesting thing there is, with no ads, microtransactions or fancy animations, it really was the core gameplay loop that I got hooked on. After finally hitting the titular number, however, I uninstalled it and haven't gone back.

zoltrix303 4y ago
I read a book called "the power of habits" a few years back and there was a few chapters focusing on the gamification and how our brains tend to develop habits (and in some case addiction). Ever since reading this book, I've noticed patterns in the way apps are developed. Candy crush and other similar game apps are a bit obvious, but for me the most sticking one for me is the facebook app. They introduced a few years back these emoji that flash in the screen when you received a hearth or a smiley face in the chat. This is almost a direct copy of a technique used by the gambling industry where they flash coins in the screen of a gambling machine. In the book, I believed they explained that by making positive results / feeling of result stronger, you can trigger more deep rooted habits.
- ROTMetro 4y ago
  I remember when acquaintances at Facebook first saw all of the psychological stuff Candy Crush was doing and how distraught they were about it. So sad that they chose to emulate what they knew was horrible behavior.
robocat 4y ago
If you are interested in viscerally understanding gamification, I suggest you install a free-to-play game with the sole intention of understanding how you are being manipulated. Pay attention to the slow cook, the social pressures, the dopamine hits, the sunk cost. I tried this (The Walking Dead: Survivors) and I learnt a lot. Question to gamification engineers: do you play addictive “gamified” games, or does the internal knowledge of how the sausage is made ruin the joy?

by maicro 4y ago

zoltrix303 4y ago

I read a book called "the power of habits" a few years back and there was a few chapters focusing on the gamification and how our brains tend to develop habits (and in some case addiction). Ever since reading this book, I've noticed patterns in the way apps are developed. Candy crush and other similar game apps are a bit obvious, but for me the most sticking one for me is the facebook app. They introduced a few years back these emoji that flash in the screen when you received a hearth or a smiley face in the chat. This is almost a direct copy of a technique used by the gambling industry where they flash coins in the screen of a gambling machine. In the book, I believed they explained that by making positive results / feeling of result stronger, you can trigger more deep rooted habits.

ROTMetro 4y ago
I remember when acquaintances at Facebook first saw all of the psychological stuff Candy Crush was doing and how distraught they were about it. So sad that they chose to emulate what they knew was horrible behavior.

robocat 4y ago

If you are interested in viscerally understanding gamification, I suggest you install a free-to-play game with the sole intention of understanding how you are being manipulated. Pay attention to the slow cook, the social pressures, the dopamine hits, the sunk cost. I tried this (The Walking Dead: Survivors) and I learnt a lot. Question to gamification engineers: do you play addictive “gamified” games, or does the internal knowledge of how the sausage is made ruin the joy?